Pope Leo urges unity for divided Church, vows not to be 'autocrat'
18 May 202517:35 PM
Pope Leo urges unity for divided Church, vows not to be 'autocrat'
Reuters
Pope Leo XIV formally began his reign on Sunday by reaching out to conservatives who felt orphaned under his predecessor, calling for unity, vowing to preserve the Catholic Church's heritage and not rule like "an autocrat".

After a first ride in the popemobile through an estimated crowd of up to 200,000 in St. Peter's Square and surrounding streets, Leo was officially installed as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church at an outdoor Mass.

Well-wishers waved U.S. and Peruvian flags, with people from both countries claiming him as the first pope from their nations. Born in Chicago, the 69-year-old pontiff spent many years as a missionary in Peru and also has Peruvian citizenship.

Robert Prevost, a relative unknown on the world stage who only became a cardinal two years ago, was elected pope on May 8 after a short conclave of cardinals that lasted barely 24 hours.

He succeeded Francis, an Argentine, who died on April 21 after leading the Church for 12 often turbulent years during which he battled with traditionalists and championed the poor and marginalised.

In his sermon, read in fluent Italian, Leo said that as leader of the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics, he would continue Francis' legacy on social issues such as combating poverty and protecting the environment.

He vowed to face up to "the questions, concerns and challenges of today’s world" and, in a nod to conservatives, he promised to preserve "the rich heritage of the Christian faith", repeatedly calling for unity.

Crowds chanted "Viva il Papa" (Long Live the Pope) and "Papa Leone", his name in Italian, as he waved from the open-topped popemobile ahead of his inaugural Mass, which was attended by dozens of world leaders.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who clashed with Francis over the White House's hardline immigration policies, led a U.S. delegation alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic.

Vance briefly shook hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the start of the ceremony. The two men last met in February in the White House, when they clashed fiercely in front of the world's media.

Zelenskiy and Leo were to have a private meeting later on Sunday, while Vance was expected to see the pope on Monday.

In a brief appeal at the end of the Mass, Leo addressed several global conflicts. He said Ukraine was being "martyred", a phrase often used by Francis, and called for a "just and lasting peace" there.

He also mentioned the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying people in the Palestinian enclave were being "reduced to starvation".

Among those in the crowds on Sunday were many pilgrims from the U.S. and Peru.

Dominic Venditti, from Seattle, said he was "extremely excited" by the new pope. "I like how emotional and kind he is," he said. "I love his background."